What We Learned From The Juventus Match

Yesterday we took on the Old Lady or Juventus. It was a great start for the Blues with 2 goals (1 beauty) from Oscar, but before halftime we conceded a goal, Hazard was denied a penalty (again) and then a misplaced pass from Mikel lead to the equalizer. So, it finished 2-2 and there were many things that I threw from that match :1. Oscar should start2. Mikel -> bench3. Sitting back doesn’t work, anymore4. 2-0 is the most dangerous lead5. Juventus are class6. Ramires and Bertrand are not wingers7. Di Matteo makes tactical errors8. Cahill > Luiz

1. Oscar has to start. HAS TO. He was so dominant and so great today that Pirlo struggled with him and when Pirlo struggles with you, you’re having a heck of a match. His goals aside, Oscar was active, accurate, speedy and precise. He didn’t make many errors and he tracked back when needed. He never gave up and was lively throughout the whole time he was on the pitch.

2. Mikel has to be placed on the bench. 3rd game in a row that his back pass or misplaced pass has put us in deep trouble. Mikel also hasn’t tracked back too well, either. By putting him on the bench, you could open up a spot for Oscar or Romeu. Both are eager to play and have shown themselves well, when played.

3. Sitting back is a tactic that must be dropped. We cannot take a 2-0 lead and then sit back, it is the most dangerous lead in football. By sitting back, you give Juventus, a passing team, the ability to pass around and have some fun with the ball, as well as press when Chelsea do get the ball (in the own half). It limits your options when instead you could grab a 3rd and put the match to rest.

4. 2-0 is the most dangerous lead in Football. It allows teams to sit back and feel comfortable and when one goal is scored, the whole match changes and opens up to both teams. Once we go 2-0 up, we must press for the 3rd and final goal, because Juventus were there for the taking.

5. Juventus is a top class team, they played beautiful football and created wonderful chances. They were unlucky not to bag a 3rd goal and take all 3 points back to Turin. Juventus will challenge us for the top spot in the group and will challenge us for the CL Title, as well.

6. Once again, Ramires and Bertrand ARE NOT wingers. Ramires had a good game with the amount of hustle he showed, but he still didn’t have the speed or skill or instinct of a winger. He lacked that cutting edge that would have pushed us to new heights in the match. Bertrand was very poor in the time he played. Was limited and didn’t attack with the instinct that Ramires lacked, as well. We must put both these players in their rightful positions. LB and CM for Bertrand and Ramires.

7. Di Matteo brought on Bertrand for Ramires and pushed Hazard to RW and that move was a catastrophic one. It limited Hazard and then he put on Bertrand to put LW, which is not his position. We have wingers in Moses, Marin and Sturridge… USE THEM. They know how to play those positions, so put them there instead of adjusting others to that position.

8. David Luiz was phenomenal the first 25-30 minutes or so and then began to slowly get worse and worse. He still had a decent match, but he let us down on a few occasions when him and Terry were miles apart. I think Gary Cahill would be the better CB option and that it would only make the defense better.

What did you draw from the match (no pun intended)? Let me know in the comments area!

RDM is incompetent. We have a good squad but the coach is questionable. The earlier we realised the betta 4us. Abramovich act fast

on Sep 20, 2012

By Anonymous

Ervin. Do you really think Oscar can play in a holding role with his small frame? I know as a the playmaker,but that type of playmaker should also have a fair amount of body mass and tackling ability. Look at the combinations of Khedira and Alonso at Madrid,Yaya and Garcia at City. If we throw in Oscar there,the pivot will be unbalanced. He should play as a free roaming attacking midfielder. Robbie should bench Mikel and throw in Ramires in the pivot. It's a position he plays so well in for the Selecao-4231.

on Sep 20, 2012

By Anonymous

RDM We have wingers in Moses, Marin and Sturridge… USE THEM. N let Ramires plays in his favourite position. Betrand shuld replace Cole at d right time he is a natural LB

on Sep 20, 2012

By Arthur Osadebe

I wonder why RDM should play these players off their natural positions. As if we lack players. Let me start from the defence, The problem is not Luiz, but our Captain, he is beginning to show signs of weakness, he is slowing down a bit. In our holding midfield area, i think Romeu should come in for Mikel and Ramires for lamps. On the wings, dis is the area i think we av a million options in Marin, Moses, Sturidge, Hazard nd even Mata can also comfortably play there. Oscar give him a free role and you see his best. Remember is he the Brazilian No.10

Oh pls what eva formation we want to play no prob but plz no mikel and torres

on Sep 21, 2012

By Anonymous

Mikel is killing the team we had him for so long and he will never develope

on Sep 21, 2012

By Anonymous

atleast someone got it right. mikel isnt the problem, its lampard. hes getting worse and worse every game, and terry is also starting to slow down too. we gotta put mikel and rami in the pivot and have oscar mata and hazard in the front with torres.

on Sep 21, 2012

By Anonymous

Leave Mikel alone please. His mistake against Juve isn't as bad as that against QPR. Sumtin is wrong with the team. Oscar aside, who had an exceptional game. They were guilty of giving the ball away easily, even Juve as well.

on Sep 21, 2012

By Anonymous

My problem with so called chelsea fans is d look for scape goat whenever d team played badly its always michel that is chelsea problem forgeting that lampar played as a midfielder with out 40percent complete passes and no tackle won by a central midfieder I bet u drop mikel with this type of team we have now we wil loose more matches

on Sep 21, 2012

By Anonymous

My problem with so called chelsea fans is d look for scape goat whenever d team played badly its always michel that is chelsea problem forgeting that lampar played as a midfielder with out 40percent complete passes and no tackle won by a central midfieder I bet u drop mikel with this type of team we have now we wil loose more matches

plz author of this article shuld do everytin to make RDM listen to the view of fans on the wrong selections for tactical result.4.3.3 formation is beta either.

on Sep 21, 2012

By Anonymous

@Ervin (the writer), you're very biased. It is a shame you're among the writers of this pretigous blog and I feel you write spontaneously and not with your head. My opinion: you should be removed and replaced with someone more competent and not scared to say Lamps has grown and should not play 90mins week-in-week out and JT shouldn't have played Quaglirella off as they were together. Bad judgement call on JT's part.

@Champ057, thanks for your unbaised observation. You said what glory hunters writers and fans refused to see and say.

Kenechi:Lagos, Nigeria.

on Sep 21, 2012

By ankit biswas

Agree with all points…i think if oscar can manage to build his body a bit then he and romeu are a better central option than lampard and mikel…